Letters to the Editor

A Tough Job

Just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed reading Mary Ann Falzone’s article about telemarketers and their “personality” types (“A Breed Apart,” Making the Connection, DIRECT, May 1).

She makes many good points about how difficult the job is and how they all learn to thrive on rejection, which of course is the secret of any consistently good salesperson.

But I especially related to the part about how important it is to develop listening skills and then apply good judgment. That’s what I try to instill in our personnel. When she mentioned how the anal-retentive types just can’t adjust, I identified with that and now realize that I’d better pay more attention to personality when we hire than to how well people are organized or how successful they’ve been in their past jobs.

It is really amazing that no matter how hard one tries, it’s nearly impossible to teach someone how to think and also how to acquire the awareness that is so necessary to be able to adjust on the fly to what prospects are telling you.
Tom Whiteway
The List Experts Inc.
Safety Harbor, FL

The Same (Old?) Song

The May 15 Direct Hit (“CRM Cynics”) is right on. Unfortunately, it’s the same song we’ve been singing for the 30-plus years I have been in direct marketing. The words are different (cyber vocabulary), but the tune is the same. I find that even companies with some experience and knowledge of DM are making the same mistakes. New people, cyber mentality, short-term pressures are all having an effect. Good CRM in its truest definition is a crying need and always has been.
Bill Crozier
President
William H. Crozier & Associates
Chesterfield, MO

Some Needed Fresh Air

What a welcome relief for someone to get it right! Those of us who live and work at a level close enough to our clients (or customers) to see their reactions to automated relationship management know that Herschell Gordon Lewis’ critique of CRM is totally on point (“CRM By the Pound,” Curmudgeon-at-Large, May 15). I can’t tell you how often I hear people complain about the very thing he describes — someone forgot to make the connection personal. Even worse, they failed to get it right.

Take, as a small example, one of the most basic forms of marketing communication — the direct response postcard. I’m amazed at the number of times our company has gained a new client after listening to someone complain about the postcards they’ve received from our competition. Bad message? Nope. Company with a bad reputation? Not the problem. The postcard had their name wrong. That tells you something, doesn’t it?

With the proliferation of CRM resources, somebody out there must be getting rich. It must be the guys who are selling the CRM products, because I can’t believe it would be anybody who’s actually using the stuff to manage relationships. It screams of the depersonalization that has consumers everywhere running for cover.

Not every communication has to be in person. But the important ones had better be personal. Herschell has the key word: rapport. Any way you can get it.

As usual, Herschell’s comments were a solid dose of reality, and a welcome breath of fresh air.
Jane Kerber
President and Principal Broker
One Special Place Texas Properties

A Real Fan

I just read Herschell Gordon Lewis’ column “Lawyers on Skateboards” (Curmudgeon-at-Large, DIRECT, May 1). He makes me LOL&ROTF or whatever the weird e-mail jargon is to express my total delight every time I read his column.

I first met him at the 3rd (yes, 1985) annual Catalog Conference in Chicago. As a fledgling in the industry, I was so impressed. All these years later, I am still so impressed.

I read DIRECT from back to front, so that if I die before I finish each issue, I will have at least read Herschell’s column.
Michele Salmon
Marketing Manager
Celebration Fantastic

More Maven Mail

It was refreshing to see Tom Collins’ makeover of the Artisoft ad (DIRECT, April). I have been a creative director for 15 years and one of my biggest pet peeves is design for the sake of the designer, not the client. I see too many ads that either miss the point or are overdesigned by a junior designer who is two years out of college and was not taught the art of the message.

I would warn against too much copy, as Tom seems to recommend. The story line looks good but you only have about 2.5 seconds to grab the reader’s attention with a strong message. Unfortunately the art of good copy is under-appreciated, as the average person will not read more than a few lines of copy unless he or she is already interested in the product before seeing the ad.

The bigger feature, as Tom pointed out, is the CD offer. A typical reader on a plane will see the ad, glance over the copy, and tear it out as a reminder to send for the free demo.
Chuck Sirois

As a direct marketing veteran, with many scars and a few medals to prove it, I want to tell you how highly I value Tom Collins’ columns in DIRECT.

I always look for “The Makeover Maven” first and enjoy it the most of all the features in your fine publication.

Personally, I think the column should be required reading for everyone in marketing and advertising, regardless of age and experience.

Has Tom ever considered publishing a collection of his columns in book form? I’d buy it like a shot!

Tom, stay well, keep writing…and give the “creative” sinners hell.
Arthur Black

I read Tom Collins’ Makeover Maven column (What’s on Great Plains Ad’s Horizon?,” DIRECT, June) and want to respond.

I really like two things he’s done. First, he puts his money where his mouth is. That is, he offered a critique of the Great Plains ad, and it was a valid critique. But many advertising columnists do the same. Anybody can be a critic — ask a client’s wife sometime!

The difference between Tom and the other critics is the second thing: He rewrote the ad (and made it better). Yes, there’s an idea (I’m reluctant to say concept). Yes, using plain language is always more readable and always more persuasive. And, when I come to the end of the ad, I want to know more. Isn’t that what an ad’s trying to achieve?

But. There’s always a but.

I’m inclined to want to edit Tom’s makeover somewhat. Just two things: First, I’d delete the lead paragraph. Tom’s already flagged his audience with the two questions above the headline. Yes, the first paragraph sets up the “disease,” but I don’t think it’s needed.

Second, I’d move his fifth paragraph up to follow paragraph three. It pays off the promise quicker, by telling the reader what a new day in project control means (…untangle project costs, etc.). Follow this with the existing paragraph four, which then flows nicely into the sixth paragraph.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like what Tom’s done. I’m just doing a little tweaking.
Martin Gardner

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